Booking Flights --Let Me Rephrase-- Booking CHEAP Flights

22 May 2014

As if it wasn't already official enough,
Heather and I booked our one way tickets to London last week.
I still feel like it's not going to feel 100% happening until we actually find our flat,
but that ticket purchase made it pretty damn real.
It takes a lot of money to move abroad. A lot.
So of course we were on the hunt for the cheapest flight we could find.
There are a few airlines that are known for their cheap flights.
But also keep in mind with lower prices comes higher limitations.
For example,RyanAir and EasyJet have amazing prices
for flights throughout Europe,
but with that, you're only allowed one strict sized carryon.
Purses, even gift bags will count as your carryon if you have them,
so make sure they can either fit inside your actual carryon,
or be able to be zipped inside your coat where they aren't seen . . .
If you're looking for international flights,
which is what I have been dealing with currently, Condor and Norwegian Air are the cheapest airlines around.
They have flights from the states to Europe for as low as $400.
But there are additional fees for checked bags,
seat choices, and meals,
along with the lack of entertainment available for the long flight.
(Norwegian Air does state it provides free Wi-Fi though,
which we all know goes a long way!)
But then again,
if you are dirt in the barrel broke,
these flights are definitely the way to go.
Bring your own food, download some movies on your laptop,
and you're good to go.
One major thing to keep in mind with these cheaper flights,
They normally only fly out of major American airports;
Miami, JFK, Los Angeles, etc.
This was where Heather and I ran into an issue.
Heather would have had to book an additional flight
from Kansas City to Miami,
which would have run her total spending to
almost equal to just purchasing a flight package
from the more popular airlines.
So we had to figure out something else,
and with a little bit of research
we found the best option for us: Student Universe.
This site offers the cheapest flights for students,
but also has deals available for faculty, alumni, non-student youth, and adults.
To sign up, you need to select which category you fit into.
As a student, you are to upload two forms of proof.
This could be a transcript, visa, student ID, etc.
Since I haven't began classes yet or even applied for my visa,
I uploaded my acceptance letter email,
as well as a second email thanking me for accepting the offer of enrollment.
And just like that it was through and I was ready to purchase!
So from my experience, they are pretty lenient
with the proof they need for students.
The flights use major airlines,
which calm the nerves of weird people like me.
Some flights have airline switches in connections,
and some have overnight layovers
(which might not be bad for some of you who want a stopover
in another destination),
but there are plenty of options for what you want.
Heather and I each found flights
that stay within one airline,
and gives us all the amenities of
checked bags, in-flight entertainment, etc.
hers from Kansas and mine from Florida,
that also allows us to meet in Charlotte to fly
the second flight into London together.
And these flights were only $750 for each of us!
That save us at least $500 from the major booking sites we'd use.
And that, my friends, is how you make a deal.

Everything in this post is of course my opinion only from my experience.

7 comments

I’m actually flying with Norwegian too. They allow me to bring 50kg luggage for an extra fee of only 50€. So if you have much luggage (and when you move abroad you will) then Norwegian is perfect! Also if you ever want to visit Scandinavia you can get 25-50% off just for being under 26 if you fly with SAS. Awesome right? ;)

I love Norwegian and their prices but the international flight was a little bit stickier with Heather and I flying from different places and figuring out the best way to save money. Luckily we found something that worked everything out! But in general they have some SWEET deals and I’ll definitely be taking advantage of them in the future!

Just found your blog, and I LOVE IT! As a fellow Anglophile and former London study abroad-er, I am totally living vicariously through your plans to go live there. Going back to live is still on my travel bucket list, but, for now, I’ll have to make any many trips over there as possible!

Thank you! It’s always great to meet others who share the same love for the UK! Studying abroad was absolutely the greatest decision I’ve ever made – it changed my life! I hope you get back ASAP, and when you do, you’ll have to let me know!

Hi! I actually lived in London two years ago during a six month study abroad stint, and was back last October, so I’m very familiar with the place and absolutely love it! I’m checking that site out now though – I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for helpful sites and things, so thank you for passing this along to me!!